Google isn't honoring its own Gemini Grounded Search pricing: only 289 of 15,000+ requests counted as free
ItalyExpat · reddit · 2026-09-11
A user reports Google's Gemini API billing for Grounding with Google Search doesn't match its published pricing page, which promises "5,000 free search requests per month (shared across all Gemini 3.x models), then $14 per 1,000 requests." Out of more than 15,000 requests, only 289 were counted as free. When disputed, Google confirmed the 5,000 free allowance exists but couldn't explain why only 289 applied; an Escalation Manager offered only a one-time courtesy adjustment "subject to internal review." The author warns the pricing is either wrong or incorrectly implemented.
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